There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about the quality of medical care in the Veterans Affairs Hospital system. While I don't care to get into the discussion of who is to blame and how it's going to improve, I think we all agree that Americans who have served in the military to preserve the freedoms we all enjoy deserve better.

It is fitting then to announce a new and exciting partnership between Phase IV and Forster Physical Therapy, and the Ride 2 Recovery Program. This group is associated with the VA Volunteer Service that provides opportunities for injured veterans worldwide to use cycling as part of their recovery and rehabilitation efforts. The group supplies wounded veterans with equipment, training, and organized cycling events to both help rehabilitate vets and raise awareness to their plight.

As an avid cyclist myself, I know firsthand the physical and emotional benefits of training for and completing some of the most demanding multi-day and one-day cycling events on the planet. The commitment to training and the persistence necessary to complete a several-hundred mile event provides participants a big dose of self-reliance, self-confidence and self-satisfaction. Cycling is a great form of exercise that almost anyone can perform and this group proves that. It is a low impact activity that allows all those motivated to improve their health to perform the 6-7 weekly hours of aerobic exercise necessary to maintain metabolic well-being.

In this week's feature article we present the Ride 2 Recover program and all of the reasons why you might want to get involved. The staff at Phase IV and Forster PT are proud to offer our 34 years of experience in training and treating endurance athletes, and specifically cyclists, in their quest to be the best they can be.

Have a great holiday and please share a moment of thanks for all that our vets have endured to keep all of us safe and free!

Ride 2 Recovery Program Mission

Ride 2 Recovery uses cycling, in all its mechanically diverse forms, to improve the rehabilitation and livelihood of injured veterans across the country. Photo courtesy Veterans Project of Marion County.

To improve the health and wellness of healing heroes worldwide by providing a life changing experience that can impact their lives forever.

R2R supports Spinning® Recovery Labs and outdoor cycling programs at Military and VA locations around the U.S. to help injured veterans overcome obstacles they face. Cycling is an important part of the recovery and rehabilitation program for two reasons:

1. Cycling is an activity in which almost all patients with mental and physical disabilities can participate.
2. Participation in the Ride 2 Recovery Program helps speed up the recovery and rehabilitation process.
A) Ride 2 Recovery provides program events and site locations
B) R2R designs and builds specially adapted bikes to suit injured veterans' needs, making it possible for almost any warrior to participate in the program, including quad amputees.

Ride 2 Recovery is produced by the Fitness Challenge, a 501(C)3, in partnership with the Military and VA Volunteer Service Office to benefit mental and physical rehabilitation programs for our country's wounded veterans and healing heroes that features cycling as the core activity. Held in partnership with the Fitness Challenge Foundation, R2R raises money to support cycling programs at military and VA locations around the U.S. to help healing heroes overcome obstacles they face. Cycling is an important part of the recovery process because it's an activity that everyone can do, no matter the disability, and cycling helps speed up the recovery process.

Programs

Ride 2 Recovery now boasts four main programs -- Challenges, Honor Ride, Project HERO, and special events.

Challenges are multi-day events that cover 350-450 miles. A Challenge will push the participant to their limit, both physically and mentally. Paid participation in a full Challenge ride helps support the free participation of our injured veterans and healing heroes and includes meals, lodging, and a jersey. You may also participate in any single day of a Challenge event.

Honor Rides are one-day events held around the country to raise money and promote awareness for the Ride 2 Recovery program.

Project HERO was created to enhance, inspire, and challenge healing heroes' rehabilitation by introducing them to Ride 2 Recovery, which allows each person to set individual goals while working in a group. R2R will partner with the local facility staff to create a personalized and progressive cycling program that fits the needs of the patient population and promotes a fuller and quicker rehabilitation.